Frozen Depictions
by The Myth Rider
Summary: A collection of drabbles I've written for Frozen. They all take place in the universe of my 3-Part Frozen Fiction "Trials by the Beasts", so my OCs are going to appear. Especially Birger, since he's a smug, stubborn mule who demands attention.
1. Big Brother

**Author's Note:** Couldn't sleep one night at all, only got, like, 2 hours of sleep at the most. Read a couple of Kristanna fics posted on fortkristanna. Wished I could make up my own little drabble, since all I've written are chapters not ficlets. Growled at Birger for stubbornly wishing to be in whatever ficlet I ended up writing. Had an epiphany, and Birger's a smug dork. Wrote the entire thing in my head as I lay in my bed, wrote it on Word the next day.  
My first drabble, and my first headcanon! Booyah!  
Partially inspired by _Brother Bear_ and _that-one-Kristanna-fanfic-where-Anna-turned-out-to-literally-be-Kristoff's-dream-girl-I-can't-remember-its-name_  
**WARNING:** I literally made myself cry at the end of this.

* * *

Anna had dreamed many a thing in her younger years. Whether silly little wishes, or oddly deep stuff, they were far from short supply. But of all of her dreams, what had once been Anna's personal favorite, was her dream big brother.

Almost an imaginary friend by all means, he'd been around for most of her life. It was Anna's own personal wish she'd never told anyone, not even Elsa (out of the sweet fear she'd upset her). Because he only existed in Anna's mind, he was always there for her.

Take the day of the Accident and the isolation that resulted for example. As Anna tried harder and harder to get Elsa to come out and play, with little success, her "big brother" was one of the few ways she kept herself occupied. And as Anna grew older, she began further molding the dream brother she'd always imagined.

He'd take after papa, with the strawberry blonde hair, but share mama's blue eyes, just like she and Elsa did. For the longest time, that was it. But as Anna grew, her 'brother' grew to match. As he got older, he'd look even more like papa, with a strong jaw and kinda-sorta wavy hair. But he needed to look like mama too, with big eyes, so as to hold all the love Anna imagined he'd have in them.

He'd be tall, he'd be strong, and he'd love Anna and Elsa with all his heart. He'd get all overprotective and jealous, interrogating their suitors at every turn. He'd play all day with them, and hug them when they needed it. If they had nightmares, he'd come running, maybe even spend the night so they felt better. He'd always build a snowman, always join in snowball fights, and would build the best snow forts.

This image that Anna envisioned of a big brother was perfect. There was only one flaw. He wasn't real. He'd never be real. He was only a dream, a fantasy that Anna clung to with all her strength. Eventually though, like all imaginary friends, she grew out of him. He sank back in the back of her mind where Anna never saw him again.

That is, until the day the King and Queen left on a two-week long trip and never came back.

Following the funeral, and following one more attempt at Elsa's company, Anna found herself more alone than ever. Elsa wouldn't talk to her, everyone else was too busy offering condolences, and Anna was too emotionally taxed to talk to the paintings on the wall.

That night as she laid in bed, Anna began to wonder how she'd survive. Then she remembered she'd had an imaginary friend, hadn't she? No, he'd been more than that. So with that, her 'brother' had been revitalized, returning a grown man to fit the present. The fantasy of someone, anyone, even a dream hugging her, helped Anna sleep that night.

But three years later, as Elsa's coronation grew close, the anticipation of having flesh-and-blood relationships once again overshadowed Anna's "big brother". Getting beyond the castle gates, meeting Hans, actually speaking with her sister after so long. Then of course, Elsa's powers were revealed, and a whole slew of craziness followed.

It was with every good reason Anna's 'big brother' seemingly vanished from memory. He'd been formed to fill the void that threatened her during the isolation. But now, Anna not only had her sister back and the gates open...she had a chance at true love, if all went well with Kristoff.

Neither did it help when they found the Frost Dragon, later named Birger by her. The young beast proved himself a friend, loyal companion, and in no time, a beloved guardian of the kingdom. It was in Birger, that one fateful day, Anna had a revelation.

* * *

There she was, lounging on the highest roof in the castle. It was probably the sunniest day of the year, a perfect summer moment. Elsa was, of course, inside working; though the day was so flawless Anna had made her promise to have a picnic or something. She'd succeeded, and now had but to wait until her sister was finished.

Anna took in a deep breath through the nose, reveling in the scent. She could hear birds chirping in the garden, the horses nickering and neighing down in the stables, and faintly hear the bustle of the marketplace. Smiling, Anna thought for sure nothing could ruin this perfect day.

Then, she heard a man yell in alarm, effectively ruining her mood.

Anna sat up with a start, then wavered, nearly falling off. Getting her balance back, she looked down and around for the source of the yell. It sounded like it came just from the courtyard. And actually, come to think of it...it sounded like...

"Kristoff!?" Anna questioned out loud.

After much sliding, climbing, and a couple of close calls, Anna finally made it to the balcony she'd started from previously. Sprinting her way through the halls, Anna hurried to get to the courtyard. It didn't take too long, thank goodness, till she pushed the front doors open.

Anna looked around in a fuss, trying to find the source of the yell and see if it really was Kristoff. It wasn't until she heard another yell that her attention was brought to the far side of the courtyard to Anna's right. But all she saw was Birger's big white, fluffy butt. Anna frowned in confusion before noticing Birger's posture. He was in a prowling stance, and he was right up at the wall.

A panicked yell that sounded like Kristoff; Birger glaring at a wall as if eyeing something down; and in the shadows to boot.

_Oh, don't tell me..._

Anna ran for Birger, arms pumping as she hurried. As she came up on his side—Birger not even giving notice of her arrival—Anna saw that, indeed, Birger had Kristoff backed against the wall. Arms braced against the stonework, eyes wide and cringing, Kristoff was trying to edge away as much as he could from the growling head hovering in front of him.

Anna sighed, loud and exasperated. "Birger! Why are you growling at Kristoff? I thought we resolved the whole first-impression-in-the-forest issue!"

Birger looked at her out of the corner of his eye, pausing his growling but not his snarling. He then looked between Kristoff and Anna, and brought a paw of to his neck, slicing a claw through the air in front of his neck, making a hissing noise like a blade. Then Birger resumed growling, pressing his head all the closer to Kristoff as he growled.

Anna sighed, biting her lip and rubbing her forehead. How exasperating the Frost Dragon could be never failed to astound her.

"Kristoff, I hate to ask this, but did you do anything to provoke him?"

Kristoff momentarily forgot about Birger and shrugged, causing Birger to growl at him again. "I didn't do anything! All I did was tell Sven about the picnic you were planning, and how I was gonna..."

He trailed off, and Anna could've sworn she saw him blushing. "Uh, anyway. Birger was eavesdropping, and next thing I knew, his saber teeth were grazing my shirt!"

Birger snorted in his face, and again closed the distance between his head and Kristoff, glaring at him. Anna huffed, and stormed up to Birger.

"Birger! Stop being so jealous!"

Birger narrowed his eyes, then full on flattened Kristoff to the wall with his head, there being no more distance at all between them now. Anna gaped at him for a second, then fuming, reached for any handholds she could find on Birger's head and started pulling. Kristoff, meanwhile, was pushing as hard as he could on Birger's head, but the stubborn dragon was resisting.

"Birger! Birger quit it! Let Kristoff go! Stop acting like my big bro—!"

Anna froze, deftly ending her pleads of Birger. She staggered away from him and Kristoff, suddenly dizzy. Both men (one exceedingly hairier than the other) paused their struggles against each other to look at her. The looks in their eyes had gone from glaring to watching her concernedly.

Anna's mind was racing as suddenly memories came rushing back. Images and fantasies she hadn't visited in so long flew by almost too quickly for her to register. But one image locked inside in her mind's eye: she saw her dream Big Brother.

_It can't be..._

"Anna? Anna, are you alright?"

Anna heard a voice calling to her, and insisting whines as well. But when Birger's whines reached her ears, they changed in her mind, for she knew what he was saying. Anna knew he was asking if she was okay as well. Just as her 'brother' would... She tried to look up at them, but the moment she looked into Birger's large blue eyes, filled to their brim with worry, but even more so with love.

Just like she imagined they would be...

Breathing hard, Anna shook her head and turned, running back into the castle as she scrunched her eyes shut. She heard the voice and the whines again, but ignored them, running straight for her room. Anna bumped into someone on her way, and heard a new voice.

"A-Anna! What's going on, why are...are you crying?"

It was Elsa.

Anna cringed, eyes still closed. But indeed, hot tears were fighting their way past her eyelids. Shaking her head again, she only managed to let out a whisper before she returned to running.

"He's _real..._"

Anna never made it to her room, though. She only got as far as a balcony before she tripped and fell, barely managing to break her fall with her arms. Anna cringed with the pain, but nothing was broken, so it didn't matter. She stood, or tried to, leaning against a wall and shuffling her way out onto the balcony where she fell to her knees and leaned against the railing.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Anna worked on getting a hold of herself. She was just overreacting, reading too much into this. But the more she thought about it...the more she couldn't deny it. The boy Anna imagined for a big brother, who "grew up" with her, who she only thought was an imaginary friend. No more real or alive then the paintings she talked to on the wall.

The man Anna imagined for a brother...he was _real_. But he wasn't just real. Her 'brother'...was a dragon.

Shaking her head again, Anna turned around and sat on her bum. Leaning against the railing, she pulled her knees up and held them tight. These blessings were becoming too much for Anna: finding true love was a dream come true; reuniting with Elsa was all she'd ever hoped. But of all Anna's dreams, her 'Big Brother' was one she never expected to happen.

Suddenly, a loud puff of air thundered over Anna's shoulders, ripping her attention from the roiling storm of emotions. Looking up, Anna saw a big fluffy nose, the mouth beneath it in a frown. Anna frowned a little, swiveling around to look the interloper face to face.

It was Birger, of course.

The loving beast was standing on his hind legs, forepaws pressed against the castle on either side of the balcony. Birger was watching her carefully, his expression a cautious but concerned mask. Despite Birger's attempt at a guarded expression, though, Anna could easily see the vast amount of love in his big azure orbs.

In the voice Anna had imagined, she could practically hear Birger as if she were Elsa.

"Anna, what is the matter? Why did you run?"

A joyful sob escaped Anna as she smiled up at him. This caused confusion to invade his expression. Anna shook her head as she stood, then wrapped her arms around Birger's nose, grasping handfuls of his fur. She could hear the faint sound of people hurrying to where they were, but right then, nothing else mattered.

"Nothing's the matter, Birger. It's just..." Anna hugged him all the harder, and even nuzzled him.

"I've always wanted a brother."


	2. Shining in the Rain

Something was wrong with Birger, and no one knew why.

The frost dragon's mood had grown progressively worse with every day that went by for an entire month. It was if he were dreading an upcoming date, and it wasn't a good one.

The first sign something was wrong was Birger's level of enthusiasm. Usually he would be all for anything Anna or Elsa, or even Kristoff, had in mind to do; his face lighting up. But with each day, he lit up less and less, till finally...he just stopped being interested at all. The poor beast would just lay around doing nothing.

The second sign was when Anna and Elsa offered Birger a barrel of his favorite mead, as the beast was an avid appreciator of alcoholic beverages (discovering that had been an interesting day), in order to raise his spirits. It had failed, Birger surprisingly turning down the offer. This had shocked many people, not just the royal sisters, as most of Arendelle was aware of 'the Drinking Dragon' (heck, Birger had his own tavern down in the city named that).

The third—and to Anna, defining—sign had been when Birger stopped showing signs of overprotectiveness or jealousy; like threatening Kristoff or death-glaring nobles who tried to woo Elsa.

"Something's wrong with Birger, something is terribly, _terribly_ wrong." Anna reiterated as she paced, Elsa and Kristoff sitting opposite ends of a couch. They were in a sitting room with a window overlooking the castle courtyard, where the melancholy Frost Dragon still lay. Anna paused by it, looking out at Birger's miserable, prone form before turning back to the ice-loving pair on the couch, her arms now crossed.

Elsa's face was in a deep frown, and she seemed oddly focused on the carpet. Her hands were clasped tightly in her hands, and Anna could tell she was agitated by the depressed state of her beloved dragon. If not because of body language, then because of the dip in temperature in the room.

Kristoff, while not nearly on the same edge as Elsa, certainly wasn't happy either. He was a lot less tense, but still frowned, almost scowling. He kept shifting in his seat and sighing through his nose.

Kristoff's expression tightened as he spoke, "Do either of you know what it is that's upsetting him?" He looked over at Elsa, "Has he said anything?"

Elsa closed her eyes and pursed her lips. It took a moment—attesting to how Birger's state bothered her—but eventually she spoke. "No, Kristoff, he has not. Believe me, I have tried. But Birger refuses to speak of whatever it is that's bothering him."

Elsa sighed, shaking her head and she brought one hand to her temple. "Anna, I'm starting to wonder how you put up with this with me for 13 years, when I'm having issue enough with Birger for 3 weeks."

This brought a bittersweet smirk to Anna, but her brow was still scrunched by worry. "There's got to be a way to get him to talk to us."

Silence invaded the room as the trio thought. Anna remained at the window, unable to look away from Birger, no matter how much it hurt to see him this way. The dull roar of thunder interrupted her thought process. Anna looked up to see the sky had clouded over, sealing Arendelle in its fjord like a lid. No doubt it would start raining soon. But when she looked back at Birger, the frost dragon showed no notice of the coming storm.

Anna sighed, shaking her head as she bit her bottom lip. Birger was so truly depressed, he didn't even care he'd get rained on? He was showing no sign of moving for the shelter they'd set up for him for moments like this. Anna knew that the frost dragon was loathe to get wet—or do anything, really—without his consent. So the fact Birger remained in the open unnerved her further.

Anna huffed, now turning from concerned to annoyed as Birger's condition permeated. "Hey guys," Anna called to Kristoff and Elsa over her shoulder. "It's gonna rain soon."

Following her call, Anna heard someone rise from the couch. She could tell from the sigh of relief from the couch and the light steps of the person whom it was. Elsa stood to Anna's left and sighed through her nose. Anna looked over to see her sister's face still clouded over by worry.

"We cannot leave him out in the rain." Elsa stated calmly but firmly. "Somehow we must convince Birger to move to the shelter, at the very least. I'd rather not learn later if Frost Dragons can catch colds."

This time the couch gasped mightily from the break of weight previously overwhelming its cushions. Kristoff stood behind Anna, grasping one of her delicate hands in his loftier ones.

"Then what're we waiting for?" Kristoff asked, his breath wafting against the back of Anna's head. "Let's go comfort our pal, shall we?"

Anna couldn't help but smirk, and even Elsa's expression softened.

"We shall." Anna answered before leading the way.

* * *

The trio arrived at the side of their fluffy companion not long following. While Kristoff stood back, arms crossed and brow furrowed, Anna and Elsa knelt by Birger's muzzle. Elsa placed a hand on his cheek, and much to the sisters' relief, looked up at them. This should've been cause for celebration, as he'd been so lax in interaction lately. But the raw grief in his azure orbs nearly broke the snow sisters before him.

Especially since they'd seen that pain before, in their own eyes, the day of their parents' funeral.

"Birger, please, you must get up." Elsa implored. "It will rain soon. You don't want Mother Nature getting you wet against your will, do you?"

Anna nodded, trying for a silly, if not reassuring smile. Appealing to the dragon's pride and sense of humor was usually a sure win. But no light came to Birger's eyes as he sighed, lowering his gaze. He must've spoken, for Elsa frowned in response.

"What anniversary?" She asked him. "What happened to you today?"

Birger said nothing, but scowled ever so slightly, paws clenching and claws scraping the cobblestone beneath them. Suddenly, Kristoff appeared in the sisters' view, kneeling directly in front of Birger's nose. The Ice Harvester looked the Frost Dragon right in the eye, and after a few minutes, vice versa.

Then, a sad smile came to Kristoff's face. "You know, Birger; mourning lost loved ones is easier when you're not sopping wet, and under a roof instead."

Anna gasped, eyes widening at Kristoff's words. "Wha-lost loved ones? How'd you get that?" At her side, Elsa straightened, clearly asking the same question in her mind.

Kristoff pointed at Birger's eyes. "Look at his eyes, you two. Don't you recognize it?"

The sisters looked again at the azure orbs, paying extra attention. Though Birger kept his gaze locked on Kristoff, they didn't need straight on contact to eventually notice something all too familiar. Birger did, indeed, have in his eyes the look of someone grieving for departed family.

The realization shocked Elsa and Anna into standstills until another clap of thunder rocked them out of their reveries. While Elsa made to use this knowledge to convince Birger to move, Anna stood and inched over to Kristoff's side. Kristoff didn't move as she stood beside him, but his eye twitched as she put a hand on his arm.

"Kristoff..." Anna whispered softly. Again, he twitched, but no more. "Kristoff," She repeated, "How could you tell Birger was in mourning?"

Kristoff didn't say anything for a while. But Anna's patience won out as he sighed, his mask breaking as hints of sadness crept through. "Because Anna," Kristoff said softly, "It was the same look I had when my—" His voice broke as he scrunched his eyes shut, slamming his lips together.

Anna immediately hugged Kristoff, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying herself in his chest. Kristoff didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her in turn. A small smile graced Anna's face as she remembered a line from the trolls.

_His isolation is confirmation of his desperation for healing hugs._

Anna hoped intently that this hug healed.

Luckily, it seemed to be working, as Kristoff continued. "It's just...Birger had the same look I did when I lost my father."

Anna's eyes widened in surprise, but she suppressed her gasp and instead squeezed Kristoff all the tighter. "You...you lost your father? So, you weren't always alone? Save for Sven, of course."

Kristoff chuckled, then paused, as if remembering something. But when he spoke, the sadness had ebbed somewhat. "Yeah, yeah I wasn't always alone. But it was so long ago...and my father was all I had at the time, so when he died..."

Regardless of how tightly she was already hugging Kristoff, Anna tried harder. "Well, you don't need to feel that pain anymore, now, huh?! We've got each other now."

As Kristoff smiled and squeezed her, Anna started thinking. It seemed pretty ironic that all of them—she, Elsa, Kristoff, and Birger—all had lost relatives and were alone. What were the odds they'd end up together? And such close friends to boot.

_..._

_Wait, what?!_

Anna gasped aloud, her face bursting into a smile as she pulled back from the hug. She practically flew to her tiptoes as she kissed Kristoff, a kind of rushed and sloppy kiss, but still full of love. He didn't have time to react, though, as Anna pulled back and grabbed his face in her small hands.

"Kristoff, you're a genius!" Anna whisper-yelled as she let her excitement show.

Kristoff's brow furrowed with confusion as she did so. He remained silent as Anna began bouncing, waiting to see if there'd be an explanation. Luckily for him—and Elsa and Birger, as they'd noticed the spontaneous reaction—Anna paused. But she did more than paused; beyond the big smile on her face, she'd practically sobered.

Anna grabbed Kristoff's hand, pulling him with her as she sauntered back to Birger's muzzle. She gestured for him to follow her lead as she knelt by Elsa, whom was still sitting beside her dragon, and still watching Anna with a dumbfounded expression (as was the dragon).

As the three knelt before Birger's head—he and Elsa and Kristoff still lost—Anna eventually closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A few seconds following that, she spoke.

"Birger, you lost family years ago on this day, didn't you?"

Birger frowned and pursed his lips, looking away for a second before looking back and nodding slightly.

Anna smiled sympathetically. "Well buddy, guess what? You're not alone." Right then, she grabbed Kristoff and Elsa's hands. While Kristoff was still a little lost, Elsa's confusion faded away as understanding flooded in the form of a smile. She squeezed her little sister's hand as Anna continued.

"We've all lost family...and," Anna's voice broke, but the reassuring squeezes from the two people so loved so much helped her continue. "And...we're all the other has left."

She sighed, then looked up at Birger. The sweet thing looked confused, fuzzy eyebrows bunched over his azure-colored eyes. Anna chuckled before she leaned forward to hug him. She kept a hold of Elsa and Kristoff's hands, though, bringing them with her. Elsa, having seen this coming, followed suit and hugged Birger. Kristoff, smiling as he finally realized what his beloved Anna was doing, decided not to fight it.

Birger stared in shock as all three sat there, arms wrapped around his muzzle, faces buried in his fur. Even Kristoff, whom Birger still kept a close eye on for Anna's sake (even if overprotectively so). But before he could stay anymore shocked, Anna spoke one more time.

"If you'll let us...we can all be each other's family...maybe, I guess." Anna chuckled, as if suddenly nervous, making Birger smile. When Elsa and Kristoff voiced their agreements of this, Birger nearly lost it, his eyes growing misty. He knew the three loved him, but this somehow caught him off guard while fixing him up at the same time.

Just as Birger whimpered his acceptance, nuzzling them all and bringing his forepaws up to hug the trio back, the rain finally decided to fall. But alas, none of them cared: not Anna, not Kristoff, not Elsa and not even Birger. They were all too wrapped up in the comforting warmth of what they'd all come to love most.

Each other...their family...


End file.
